A Menifee man accused of murder took the stand Thursday for a second day in an attempt to convince jurors he did not take part in the killing of an 18-year-old El Cajon woman in 2002.

Jeffree Jay Buettner, 34, has admitted in his testimony that he and co-defendant Glen Joseph Jones, 26, of Wildomar, disposed of the woman's body, but denied that he was present when she was killed or knew anything about the crime in advance.

According to Buettner's testimony in a downtown Riverside courtroom, Jones and the woman dropped him off at a mobile-home park and drove off in her car. Later, when Jones returned to pick up him, he learned of the body in the trunk, he has testified.

Stephanie Ann Benton's decomposed body was found June 7, 2002, inside a 55-gallon drum dumped in a field in northern Lake Elsinore.

Buettner and Jones face the death penalty if they are convicted of murder, as well as any of a series of special circumstances including torture, lying in wait and committing murder as a function of criminal gang activity. Buettner also faces a special circumstance in connection with allegedly plotting the murder of Jones and other witnesses while he was in jail.

Prosecutors say Buettner and Jones lured Benton into a trap and eventually killed her because they believed she had talked to police about their criminal activities, which included committing burglaries and using methamphetamine.

Each defendant points to the other as being the perpetrator and they are being tried by separate juries.

In his opening statement on behalf of Jones, defense attorney Darryl Exum contended that his client was an unwilling participant in the brutalizing of Benton instigated by Buettner, who has admitted on the stand to being a member of a white supremacist gang. The prosecution and defense have concluded calling witnesses in Jones' case and closing arguments are scheduled to be heard in early December.

In wrapping up his examination of Buettner on Thursday, defense attorney Sam Long asked about his client's connection to an attack on fellow inmate Tony Staska. Staska said in earlier testimony that he believes his neck was slashed by a cell mate in Southwest Detention Center in French Valley at the direction of Buettner. Staska said Buettner suspected he shared information with authorities about his plans to eliminate witnesses.

Buettner responded Thursday that while he suspected Staska of lying about his connections to gang higher-ups, he had not sought the "green light" from them to kill Staska.

"I had no motive to do anything to Tony Staska," he said.

Long also sought to attack the prosecution's theory that Buettner used Jones' belt to choke Benton. Buettner testified that he voluntarily agreed to have the belt tested for his DNA. The results of that test, however, were not disclosed in Thursday's hearing.

In his cross-examination of Buettner, Deputy District Attorney John Aki repeatedly questioned whether the defendant was being entirely honest. Although Buettner had said he had not been involved in violent crimes, he admitted having beaten up an inmate in jail after Aki displayed the image of the man's face with a bloody gash over his nose. Buettner explained that he forgot about the incident probably, he said, because authorities labeled it as "mutual combat."

When Aki accused of him of lying, Buettner said, "I didn't lie. I honestly forgot."

Also under probing, Buettner admitted he had carried a firearm and machete in his car "for protection," and armed himself with a concealed weapon in jail called a "shank," a homemade knife.

While Buettner had said he joined the gang because of a sense of race pride, he denied being an avid racist, though he opposes interracial marriage. Yet, Aki noted, he had the Nazi war eagle tattooed on his torso, as well as other white supremacist tattoos. Buettner also admitted distributing a poem that he thought "was cool" containing slurs against Jews and other groups, but didn't profess in court to understand the implications.

"I'm a little bit more of a lazy white supremacist," he said, adding, "I don't spend my time hating any more than I have to."

Aki delved into letters written in jail by Buettner and other inmates, and questioned him on the meanings of statements, such as when he wrote to another inmate apparently targeted by the gang, "I was told by the higher power to ignore any and all you say and do. Time will come and you will be dealt with accordingly!"

Thursday's session concluded with Long calling to the stand a forensic psychiatrist who testified about the effects of acute and prolonged methamphetamine use.

He said Buettner's use of the drug and tolerance of it was extremely high. Buettner had said he had gone without sleep under the influence of meth for as many as 14 consecutive days at the time Benton was killed. The cross-examination of Buettner is scheduled to resume Nov. 30.

Call staff writer Michael J. Williams at 951-676-4315, ext. 2635.